Improvement in steam-traps



W. HILTON & F. R. CLARKE.

STEAM-TRAP. No.172,733. Patented 53.11.25,!876.

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Wihzesses. I nvenfam.

N.PE\'ERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, 0 C.

NITED STATES PATET WILLIAM HILTON AND FRANCIS R. CLARKE, OF HEATON NORRIS, GREAT BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT lN STEAM-TRAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,738, dated January 25, 1876; application. filed October 4,1575.

from.

The invention is applicable to that class of steam-traps wherein the rising and falling of a hollow copper ball or float in a vessel of water closes or opens the aperture of the steam-pipe, so as to allow the air and water to escape at intervals without losing the steam, and is intended to prevent the sticking too fast of the plug of thetap, which is a frequent occurrence in such steam-traps, and also the choking of the siphon-pipe with dirt that may be contained in the'water, either of which events would at once stop the action of the steam-trap.

Figure 1 in the annexed drawing is a vertical section taken longitudinally through our improved steam-trap and Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, with the valve-box shown in section.

a a is the vessel; b b, the ball or float, and c c the siphon-pipe.

We dispensewith the plug-tap entirely, and

I in its place we screw or fix a cylindrical valvebox, at d, at the end of the steam-pipe e e, in which is a conical valve-seating, fitted with a conical disk-valve, ff, attached to a short hollow stem, g g, in the sides of which are openings.

This stem is provided with a quick-threaded screw, it h, working in a similar nut, c 71, formed or fixed in the interior of the valvebox 01 d, and thus, by turning the hollow stem 9 got the valve, the latter is either opened or closed, so as to open or close communication between the interior of the steampipe e e and the inside of the hollow'stem g g of the valve f f.

Outside the valve-box the hollow valvestem 9 g is curved or bent round horizontally at a right angle, and to it is attached a tube, 70 7a, which thus serves as a lever to open or close the valve, and, at the same time, serves as an inlet-pipe to the ball or float b b.

The other end of this tube is bent downward and attached to the upper part ofthe hollow ball. or float b b, passing through an air-vessel, l l, fixed to the top of tlhe ball. There is a small opening leading from the ball into this air-vessel, and an escape-pipe, m m, for the air leading from the top of the same.

Leading from the bottom of the ball I) b is an S-shaped siphon-pipe, 0 c, which is of about the. same diameter as the inlet-pipe k 70,

and is curved upward round the outside of,

the ball, and terminates in a discharge-opening at n.

The air-escape pipe m m, above named, leads into the upper curve of this S-shaped siphon-pipe 0 o, and in the lower part of the latter above the bottom of the ball, but below the line of flotation, is a small orifice at 0, through which water can be admitted into the ball.

The action is as follows: The ball b b, being filled with Water, which enters. through the orifice 0, last referred to, sinks into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and opens the valve inthe end of the steampipe. As soon as the steam is turned on the air in the pipes, steam-chest, or drying-cylinder escapes through the valve, and, passing by the inlet-pipe 70 k to the air-chamber ll, above the ball b b, escapes by the aii escape pipe at m, before named.

The airis then followed by the water of condensation, which forces the water out of the ball b I) up the S-shaped siphon-pipe c c, and discharges it, the steam continuing to drive the water of condensation through the ball and the S-shaped discharge-pipe; but, as soon as all the Water has been forced out and the steam attempts to follow, the ball, being lightened, rises up and closes the valve. The ball then commences to fill again slowly with, water, and the operation is repeated as before.

We claim-- 1. Thecom'binatiou of the hollow float b and its hollow-stem k 9, having perforations within the valve-chamber d, with the screwvalve f, as set forth.

2. The airessel l l, communicating with the upper portion of the ball I), and, at its oppo site end, with the air, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM HILTON.

FRANCIS ROWLAND CLARKE. Witnesses:

T. E. DAVIES,

JOHN HUGHES. 

